Ed Zwick puts Jake Gyllenhaal on Viagra

Ed Zwick has the antidote to those embarrassing barbs about Jewish male virility (something to do with size…). Zwick, who last directed a bunch of robust Jewish males in the resistance film “Defiance” has since discovered the importance of Viagra—and not simply for its mechanical enhancements. He will direct “Love and Other Drugs” an adaptation of the nonfiction book “Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman” by Jamie Reidy. The story is autobiographical: Reidy was a traveling salesman for rival pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Eli Lilly in the 1990s before he wrote a memoir revealing internal practices. According to Reidy, “When his book, debuted in ‘05, those enemies finally agreed on one thing: fire that MoFo!” Jake Gyllenhaal will play the disgraced salesman and Anne Hathaway co-stars as his Parkinsons-stricken lady love.

According to Wikipedia, Gyllenhaal considers himself “more Jewish than anything else.” Other reports suggest that his sister Maggie, also an actress, identifies more strongly than he does. Here’s the family breakdown, you decide:

Gyllenhaal was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and film producer and screenwriter Naomi Foner (née Achs).[1] Maggie Gyllenhaal, his sister, is also an actress, and played his sister in the movie Donnie Darko. Gyllenhaal’s father was raised in the Swedenborgian religion and is a descendant of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family. His last native Swedish ancestor was his great-great-grandfather, Anders Leonard Gyllenhaal.[2] Gyllenhaal’s mother is from a Jewish family from New York City. Gyllenhaal’s Bar Mitzvah celebration took place at a homeless shelter because his parents wanted to instill in him a sense of gratitude for his privileged lifestyle.[3] Gyllenhaal has said that he considers himself “more Jewish than anything else.”[4] Gyllenhaal’s parents insisted that he have summer jobs to support himself. He worked as a lifeguard, and as a busboy at a restaurant operated by a family friend.[5]

Oh, and he’s environmentally conscious, which he demonstrates by recycling regularly.

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